Stealers Wheel
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | Joe Egan, Gerry Rafferty |
| Defunct | 1975 (original band), briefly reunited in 2008 |
| Headquarters | Paisley , Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Stealers Wheel was a folk rock group originating from Paisley, Scotland, founded in 1972 by longtime friends Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty. Their most recognized track is "Stuck in the Middle with You." The band dissolved in 1975 but reunited briefly in 2008.
Biography
The foundation of the band centered on Egan and Rafferty, who initially brought in Roger Brown, Rab Noakes, and Iain Campbell in 1972. However, by the time they secured a contract with A&M Records that same year, Brown, Noakes, and Campbell had been succeeded by Paul Pilnick on lead guitar, Tony Williams on bass, and Rod Coombes handling drums.
This ensemble recorded their self-titled debut album Stealers Wheel in October 1972, with production by Leiber & Stoller. The album achieved commercial success, peaking at number 50 on the US Billboard 200 chart and included the hit single "Stuck in the Middle with You." The band also performed "I Get By" and "Late Again" on BBC 2's The Old Grey Whistle Test.
By the time the album was released, Rafferty had exited the group; Luther Grosvenor stepped in for touring duties. Shortly thereafter, Williams left and was replaced by DeLisle Harper on bass.
"Stuck in the Middle with You" climbed to number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 1973. It sold over one million copies globally and was awarded a gold disc. After this achievement, Rafferty rejoined while Grosvenor, Coombes, Pilnick, and Harper departed. Subsequently, Stealers Wheel continued as a duo supported by various session musicians.
Subsequent singles such as "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" and "Star" saw moderate chart placements, with "Star" reaching the top 30 in both UK and US charts. Their sophomore album, Ferguslie Park (1973), named after a district in Paisley, featured nine additional musicians but failed commercially, barely making an impact on the US Billboard 200. Internal conflicts along with managerial difficulties contributed to a period of inactivity.
Their last album, Right or Wrong (1975), was released after the band had already split amid disagreements with management and was produced by Mentor Williams.
In 1978, A&M issued a compilation titled Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan — Stuck in the Middle with You (The Best of Stealers Wheel), followed by another collection released in 1990.
The band's signature song experienced a resurgence when Quentin Tarantino included it in his 1992 film Reservoir Dogs. Additionally, Louise’s dance rendition of the track entered the UK top 10 in 2001.
After being unavailable for many years, British indie label Lemon Recordings re-released their albums between 2004 and 2005 using vinyl masters.
In 2008, Tony Williams briefly reassembled Stealers Wheel alongside Rod Coombes, Paul Pilnick, and Tony Mitchell. They produced a new video for "Stuck in the Middle," but disbanded again without embarking on a tour.
Gerry Rafferty passed away due to liver failure on 4 January 2011. Early in 2016, independent label Intervention Records reissued both Stealers Wheel and Ferguslie Park on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl. Caroline later remastered and released all three albums as a boxed set including bonus BBC recordings in 2017.
Rab Noakes died at age 75 on 11 November 2022. Joe Egan passed away at age 77 on 6 July 2024.
Band members
- Joe Egan – keyboards, rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (1972–1975; passed away 2024)
- Gerry Rafferty – rhythm guitar, keyboards, lead vocals (1972, 1973–1975; deceased 2011)
- Paul Pilnick – lead guitar (1972–1973, 2008; died 2021)
- Tony Williams – bass guitar (1972–1973, 2008)
- Rod Coombes – drums (1972–1973, 2008)
- Luther Grosvenor – guitar, lap steel guitar, lead and backing vocals (1973)
- DeLisle Harper – bass guitar (1973)
- Tony Mitchell – rhythm guitar, lead vocals (2008)
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Highest Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canada | United States | ||
| 1972 | Stealers Wheel | 44 | 25 | 50 |
| 1973 | Ferguslie Park | — | — | 181 |
| 1975 | Right or Wrong | — | — | 201 |
| 1978 | Gerry Rafferty & Joe Egan - Stuck in the Middle with You: The Best of Stealers Wheel (A&M compilation) |
— | — | — |
| 1990 | The Best of Stealers Wheel (compilation) | — | — | — |
| 2017 | Stealers Wheel: The A&M Years (complete studio albums plus select live recordings) | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Song Title | Peak Chart Positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Australia | US | Canada | |||
| 1973 | "Stuck in the Middle with You" | 8 | 16 | 6 | 2 |
|
| "Everything Will Turn Out Fine" (titled "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" in AUS/US/CAN) |
33 | 90 | 49 | 25 | ||
| "Star" | 25 | 67 | 29 | 12 | ||